The Social Outcast

Chapter Nineteen

Calum's POV

I was so close to finding out Hallie's secrets. After she got what she needed from the grocery store, I took her to the small coffee shop.

"What are we doing here?" She asked.

"We are going to eat something. I could hear your stomach growling, and I'm also pretty hungry myself." Hallie blushed, making me chuckle.

We ordered ourselves a sandwich, us eating in silence.

Something on her face caught my eye. A bruise.

"Hallie, where's that from?" I pointed at the bruise, seeing her eyes widen.

"You have to tell me Hallie. I don't care if it's a little portion. If this is something that is physically hurting you, you need to tell me now. This is serious," I said.

"Okay," She sighed. I was shocked at how quick I got her to open up.

"So, my parents are abusive. Well, rarely ever do they physically hurt me, but most of the time, it's neglect. They're always drunk or high. They signed me up for the domestic exchange program because they wanted me away from them, without it being illegal." I saw tears forming.

"And everyone at school bullies me. Even when I lived with you. Do you remember when I got that concussion and broken wrist. Some boys threw me in a trash can and rolled it down a staircase," She was now crying.

"Hallie, sweetheart..." I was speechless.

"I just can't do this anymore. I've been called so many negative things, and just have no self love anymore. I'm nothing but a social outcast," She sobbed. Luckily, there was hardly anyone in the coffee shop.

"I try to tell myself that the words don't hurt, but I'm just lying to myself. That's all I ever do. Lie to everyone because I can't seem to do anything right."

I couldn't imagine the pain that she was in.

"Hallie, you do everything perfectly. No one's perfect. You're so imperfectly perfect." I held her hand.

"When I lived with you, it wasn't that bad because I had all of you. When I got taken away, I was mad. I was mad at my parents and mad at you. Most of all, I was mad at myself. I'm so sorry for treating you like crap and saying all of those mean things."

"It's perfectly fine, I really don't care about that. All I care about is you. Hallie, we have to go to the police and tell them." I said.

"No, please, they'll put me in a foster home. I don't want to be put somewhere like that," She cried.

"No, I will make sure that doesn't happen, no matter what it takes."

We called the police, going to her house. By the time we got to her house, police were there, handcuffing Hallie's parents.

They were yelling all kinds of rude and vulgar things at Hallie, her still sobbing.

"I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry that I'm such a disappointment in your eyes. I'm sorry that I couldn't be the daughter you wanted, but I'm even sorrier that you couldn't be the parents that I needed. Just face it, you're both terrible people. I don't know what I ever did to you, but I'm not going to stand here and let you have the success of letting me feel the hurt. I'm sorry that I'm not good enough." She yelled.

I pulled Hallie into my embrace, seeing the police dragging them away.

At this moment, I realized that Hallie was the strongest person I'd ever seen.

CALUM FINALLY GOT HALLIE TO OPEN UP. THIS CHAPTER WAS SAD TO ME, COMMENT IF IT ALSO MADE YOU SAD. I WAS LISTENING TO 'GOOD ENOUGH' BY LITTLE MIX, SO IT ADDED TO MY SADNESS. LISTEN TO IT FOR BETTER EFFECT!

XOXO, L.